Public Health Emergency in effect as cases spike

MARSHALL COUNTY, Ind.—The Marshall County Health Department has issued an emergency declaration due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Marshall County Health Department statistics, there are over 1,300 total coronavirus cases in the county. The County Commission President, Kevin Overmyer, said in the past few weeks 263 people have tested positive.

This unexpected spike, leaving county officials no choice but to take immediate action, calling for a 7-day Public Health Emergency.

“It’s a real health concern, but it’s also a mental concern. I know we all want this to be over with, but it’s not looking that way right now,” Overmyer said. “What this emergency does is just bring people back to awareness that there are problems out there.”

The rise in cases is not the only problem Marshall County is facing.

“Hospitals are being over-run right now with COVID positive cases and so we just feel that it’s important we do this. it also gives out health department and our health officer a bit more latitude on what they need to do,” Overmyer said.

By the looks of where the county is at now, Overmyer said that the 7-day emergency may be renewed until they see a decline.

“This is real. It’s been real since day one but like I said, people have kind of become in complacent and not doing what they should be doing,” Overmyer said.

The precautions folks should be taking, he said, hasn’t changed since the pandemic hit in March.

“I think it goes back to personal responsibility to mask, to social distances and they need to continue to wash hands and sanitize your hands and just be cognoscente of your surroundings,” Overmyer said.

The 7-day Public Health Emergency goes into effect on October 22,  and if cases don’t decline, Overmyer said that the emergency will likely be renewed next Thursday, October 29.

Officials did not say whether or not the order will impact events or Halloween activities.